Garter clasp



Nov. 4 1924.

W. W. CRAM GARTER CLASP Filed June 2, 1924 Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

liTtEfi STATES WALTER W. CBAM,

OF SHELDON, IOWA.

GARTER CLASP.

Application filed June 2, 1924. Serial No. 717,381.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 11, WALTER W. CMM, acitizen, of the United. States, residin at Sheldon, in the county, of OBrien and: t'ate of Iowa, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Garter Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in clasp structures. n

The primary object of th s" lnvent on 1s the provision ofa' clasp acting upon a novel principle, including a relatively broad" clamping surface which may be utilized for supporting articles, such as hosiery, without liability; of tearingthe hosiery, such asis the case" with conventional clasps.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a' clasp particularly. adapted for supporting hosiery or the l ke, which includes hingedly connected frame portlons with relatively long resilient rollers at the. free ends; thereof, which act as jaws, and which may. beheld into a clamping relation when the frame portions are in a certa n.

P S iQI Other obj ects; and advantages, of this 1nvention will" be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

part of. this; specification, and; wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts" throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a. perspective view, showing the; manner in which the improved clasp may be used for supporting hosiery, so that e; e amri io i' pr r s. e r. reo s sp'qs d. v r: a. relat v y dero n' o Figure 2 is a cross sectional view. taken through the improved clasp, showing the same in clamping position with a garment clamped between the jaw or roller portions thereof;

the details illustrated in Figure 2, showing the jaw or roller portions. thereof in an unclalnped relation just prior to the snapping of; the same into clamped position upon .50 the garment.

Figure/l is a View showing the portions of thev clasp extended, and

In the accompanying drawing, forming.a'

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view through Figure 5 is a view showing the" relation of the frames and other details of the clasp asthey appear in clamped relation;

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of this invention the letter A may generally designate the improved clasp, which may (be supported upon the elastic portion B of garters or the like, in order to; hold garments C, such as hosiery without liability of tearingv such garments, and

without liability of becoming detached therefrom when in clamped relation thereon.

Referring to the structure; of the improved clasp A, the same preferably includes frames 12 and 13 which support the clampmg jaw and roller 15 and 16 respectively thereon.

Referring to the structure of the frame 12, the same includes the upper cross portion 20 which is rigidly fixed in the barrel portion 21 of the member 22 to which the frame 13.ishingedly connected; The frame 12 furthermor includes the substantially parallel side bar portions 24 and 25 arranged at right angles to'the top. bar 20. The lower ends of the bar portions. 24 and 25, at 26, are laterally outturned" ordis posed atan obtuse angle with respect to the plane in which the remaining, portion of the frame 12 is disposed, and at, the outer ends of the obtusely disposed portion 26 a cross bar portion 28 is provided, which fixedly supports a sleeve: 29 directly thereon, and uponwhich sleeve 29 a resilient rubber covering 3O isifixed in frictional engagement therewith. It is thus to be noted; that the jaw structure15 is supported by the cross bar portion 28. at a point laterally of the plane in. which the. frame 12 is disposed.

The frame 13 is hingedly connected to the lower barrel portion 35 of the connecting element 22; it being preferred; that the barrel portion 35 have the end margins thereof disposed inwardly from the end margins of the barrel portion 21,; substantially as is illustratedin the drawing. The frame 1.3'includes, the upper bar portion 38 which is pivoted in the barrel 3 5, and includes the side portions 39 and- 40, which are laterally bowed outwardly from each other intermediate their ends, so that said bars 39 and 10 may be flexed in order to secure the clamping action between the jaw and roller portions of the invention as will subsequently appear. The frame 13 includes the outer cross bar portion 42 which rotatably receives a bushing 43 thereon, and upon which bushing a rubher covering 4 1 of a flexible nature is disposed. It is to be noted that the bar portions 38, 39, 40 andt2 of the frame 13 are preferably disposed in the same plane, and the point of pivotal connection of the frame 1.3 in the barrel is so that the planes of the frames 12 and 13 may lie parallel when the parts 15 and 16 earned by said frames are in their clamping relation.

The jaw and roller structures 15 and 16 of the improved clasp A are relatively long, it being preferred that the jaw 15 b longer than the roller 16, to facilitate entrance of the roller structure 16 between the side bar portions 24 and 25 of the frame 12.

The operation of this clasp is apparent. The elastic or supporting portion B is looped at the lower end about the connecting element 22, as is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing, to support the, clasp A in a depending relation from the member B. The upper edge of the garment C to be supported is then slipped between the jaw and roller structures 15 and 16, and by forcing the frame port ons 12 and 13 together the side bar portions 39 and of the frame 13 will fiex outwardly laterally as the jaw and roller structures 15 and 16 are moved toward each other, and in this respect the obtusely disposed portion 26 of the frame 12 may also yield slightly, with a spring action, so that the frames 12 and 13 may move into the relation illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing, and in which position the jaw and roller structures 15 and 16 are in a locked clamping engagement, past dead center, so to speak, and tightly clamp the garment 0 between the rubber covering portions 30 and M, as is illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing. It is to be noted that with this clamping action a relatively broad surface of the garment C is held between the jaw and roller tructures 15 and 16; the improved clasp A differing in this respect. from conventional eiasp structures which ordinarily grasp the garment at a single spot, resulting in its tearing when any considerable force tends to pull the same away from the clasp.

From the foregoing description of this i vention it is apparent that a novel type of clasp has been provided which acts upon a novel principle in effecting its clamping action. Of course,the frame portions of the clasp may be so devised that the spring actiontending to lock the jaw 15 and roller 16 in their clamping relation ma be obtained otherwise than herein specifically set forth.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of the invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the claims.

1 claim:

1. In a clasp of the class described a pair of spring frames, each frame formed from a strand of resilient material bent to provide side bars and upper and lower bars, a bearing carried by the upper bar of one frame and rotatably receiving the upper bar of the other frame to pivotally connect the same to the first frame, one of said frames being longer than the other and having its side bars laterally offset adjacent their lower ends and having a cylindrical shaped gripping member upon its lower bar, the other frame having its side bars bent outwardly for I overlapping engagement with the side bars of the first frame and having a roller upon its lower bar which may be moved into engagement with the gripping member of the first frame to flex the offset end of the first mentioned frame so that the gripping memher and roller may be positioned in a clamped relation.

2. In a clasp of the class described a pair of spring frames, a connecting member rigid with an end of one of said frames and pivot ally receiving an end of the other frame therein, a roller supported at the free end of one of said frames and a cylindrical shaped part fixed at the free end of the other frame in such relation that they may be moved into abutting relation to normally spring the frames with sufficient force to hold the jaw and roller in a firm clamped relation.

3. A clasp comprising a frame portion having the lower end thereof laterally offset with a sleeve fixed thereon, a second frame having side bar portions which may be laterally flexed to spring the same, means pivotally connecting the second frame to the first mentioned frame at a point on the first mentioned frame remote from the sleeve thereof, and a roller rotatably supported on the second mentioned frame at its free end of less length than said sleeve and adapted to move into abutting contact with the sleeve to spring the frames slightly for holding the sleeve and roller in abutting clamped relation.

41. In a clasp of the class described a spring frame including side bar portions offset laterally in obtuse angular relation at their lower ends, an elongated member fixedly supported by said frame at the free ends of said obtusely disposed portions of the bars of said frame, a second frame pivotally connected to the first mentioned frame at a point remote from its member, said second frame including side bar portions laterally bowed outwardly from each other, and a roller supported at the free end of said second mentioned frame of less width than the member of the first mentioned frame, so that the roller of the second frame may move into the area between the bars of the first mentioned frame and into abutting locked relation with the member on the first 10 mentioned frame incident to flexing of the bar portions of said frames.

DR. WALTER W. CRAM. 

